Wichita eagle., 1887-04-22
COURTSI[IPS OF BIRDS.
NATURALIST HOLDERS VERY INTER-
ESTING COLLECTION OF FACTS.

!
The Sandhil Cranes Bird Circus-Frolics
of Feathered Dancers-The HuInming
Birds Fight for a Wife-Other Curious
Courtships.
III some of the African tribes when mar
riaGe is proposed by the dusky lover the coz
maiden puts him through a course of physical
sprouts that is considered a test of his capa-
bli,ieS as the protector and supporter OF @
family. He appears before her and her
friends and goes through a series of ground
nd lofty tumbling that would do credit to
a professional athlete-leats into the air,
strides along to show his walking powers, and
throws his imts this way and that to show
the development of muscles; finally, if he
makes good exhibition, he is accepted, and
ever afterward the woman does all the hard
work, the groom having demonstrated, how
ever, that he can do it if pushed to the wall
Among the cranes, especially the sandhiIl
cranes, almost exactly the same thing can be
seen in the mating season. and if any one can
approach flock at this time they will be re-
paid by q most remarkable sight-a veritable
bird circus. A relative of mine had a large
marsh upon his estate and here the great
birds made their summer home; building
l4ielr ciiiiolis nests there and rearing their
young. The marsh was surrounded by high
grass, and it was his practice to creep through
and watch the birds unobserved The antics
they went through it would be impossible to
describe--now they you'd caper along in
pairs, stepping dainty with the winning gait
of the ideal exquisite, lifting their feathers or
wings, taking short steps and gradually work
ing themselves up to bird frenzy of excite
ment, when they would leap into the air and
over each others backs, taking short runs,
this way and that all for the ediication of
the females standing by, and finally, after a
series of these exhibition. the different birds
selected their mates
| FROLIC OF FEATHERED DANCERS.
Among the birds of the western hemisphere
| the cock Of the rock ranks next to the crane
| in the strangeness of its evolutons The bird
is confined to South America and is about the
size of "a small pigeon; has bright orange
web in the male, with plumelike arrange
ment on the head It is proud bird prn-
| cipalIy building its nest in rocky places not
| frequented by man. At the commencement
of the breeding season party of birds num-
bermg from ten to twenty, assemble, and
selecting clear space among the rocks form
Il rinc or circle, facing inward Now a small
bril- takes its place in the center and begins to
hoo about, toss its head, lift its wings and 90
through all the strange movements possible
that appear to be watched with great intere.t
by the rest. When the performer is thor
or ghly exhausted be rCtireS to the circle and
another bird enters the ring, and so on, until
all have put through their PAGES, when the
pairs probably make their selection Often
The birds are so exhausted after the dances
that they can hardly iy, lying painting on the
rocks
In England the courtship of the great Eng
Iiail bustard is rare sight, the magnificent
creature performing most Of its love antics in
the ar, making great Swoops downward, al
most touching the ground, then rising aloft
to hove. over its mate, uttering peculiar
cry, then alighting and vying with the turkey
in its proud aspect. The great Otis Ben
galiensis struts about like a peacock, hum
ming the while IL q curious series of notes,
supposed to be the dulcet tones addressed to
the female bird.
The courtship of the humming bird is
particularly arduous OPERATION the lover
having to fight his way to nuptial life. Sew
eral species of these little living gems are
common in my dooryard and are engaged in
a continual warfare with each other; often
the enga cement is carried on with such vigor
that the birds are injured. A friend near by
tells Inc that in observing these contests she is
positive that at times the male when finding
that he is being worsted feigns DEATH and
drops to the gruond in fact. plays possum to
escape, and carries it to such an extent that
she has gone out and picked the bird up and
brought it into the house, here it soon recov-
cred.
SOMTs CURIOUS ANTICS.
There is one in South America known as
FIorisuga mellivor that performs some curl
Gus antics during the courtship season It
resembles some gorgeous insect as it darts
through the air, its head and neck being
beautiful metallic h.ue with border Of
white. other portions being a rich metallic
green The tail, which is pure white. can be
expanded SO as TO form a semi-circle, and
when in the air with the tail feathers out
stretched it looks as though it were resting
on a twig. For several moments the little
creature will remain literally suspended in
the air with this curious cross piece vibrat-
ing-a singular mode of courtship.
In the water birds we find many curious
courtships. especially in the albatroSs. that is
a most devoted lover and mate. Even when
the female is on the nest he VIII stand by,
and 90 through the most extravagant mo-
tious and uttering curious shrieks. which
sound like laughter in return for which the
female gently careSSes him with her bill The
nest of this bird resembles that Of some fam
ingOes. being about two feet in height and
ten inches in diameter, the top falling over
the edges, so that when deserted by the birds
they form convenient seats and are so used
by sailors who hunt the bird 10 secure the leg
bones for pipe stems.
Near the borders of southern California is
found a bird called the Sunate that has
strange courtShip 1t is about the size of
ruagpie During the mating season four or
five birds collect together and seem to vie
with each other in the extravaganza of their
posturing-wooing now iii rows, now single,
i'll regular dance and by way OF music ut
tering loud, discordant Squ2wks. Their long
tails are lifted high in the air during this per-
forrlanCe, and their entire behavior is re
markahle i'll the extreme There Is hardly
a family of birds hut what we find has some
such popularity, leading to the conclusion
that there are certain traits that are very
much alike in all forms, from man DOWN
ard-ProfesSor c. F. Holder in San Fran
cisco Call
Hereditary Insanity.
The physical defects of fathers are more
frequently reproduced in the offspring than
.boSa of tha mother In paSaS nf rp,af,-